Rio Linda High School: Full Guide

Location: Rio Linda, CA

Are you a student or parent at Rio Linda High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?

We've written the best guide to Rio Linda High available. Here we'll cover:

Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
How safe Rio Linda High is to attend
SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Rio Linda High students
Which AP/IB classes you can take at Rio Linda High
Every sports team you can join at Rio Linda High

Let's get started!

Basic Information

Rio Linda High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Rio Linda, CA in Sacramento County.

Based on its location, Rio Linda High is classified as a school in a large suburb. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Rio Linda High School
6309 Dry Creek Rd.
Rio Linda, CA 95673-4412

Phone number: 9165662725

Rio Linda High School homepage: https://rlhs-trusd-ca.schoolloop.com/

Principal: Ed Delgado
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at Rio Linda High School is 1751 students, making it a large high school, in the top 25% of all California high schools by size.

Attending Rio Linda High will feel like attending a small college. You'll have a few hundred students in your class, enough to provide an interesting set of activities, sports, and classes to try. But compared to the largest high schools in California, the student body size won't be overwhelming.

Growth in Student Body Size

Is Rio Linda High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.

From our calculations, the enrollment at Rio Linda High has steadily increased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.

	Male Students	Female Students	All Students
9^th grade	268	233	501
10^th grade	261	212	473
11^th grade	216	181	397
12^th grade	202	178	380

As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 121 students larger than the senior class. This suggests that the school is growing in size and taking on more students.

There are a few reasons this could be happening. The city of Rio Linda could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Rio Linda High. Alternatively, Rio Linda High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at Rio Linda High School?

From our statistics, Rio Linda High has a 55:45 split between male and female students in the high school grades.

Rio Linda High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in Sacramento County. Since the student body is roughly half and half, it should feel like there are equal numbers of boys and girls in your classes.

This usually means that Rio Linda High doesn't strongly select for either males or females, unlike other schools that have a large majority of males or females.

Ethnicity Breakdown

What's the racial diversity at Rio Linda High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?

From our statistics, Rio Linda High has a diverse student body. No single ethnicity composes more than 50% of all students, which means you'll be surrounded by a diverse set of students in class. Only a third of California schools show this much diversity.

The most common ethnicity at Rio Linda High is white. In California, white students make up 26.3% of all California students, and are the second most common ethnicity after Hispanic students.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.8%	15
Asian	14.7%	258
Hispanic	35.2%	618
Black	8.0%	141
White	35.4%	620
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	1.9%	35
Two or more races	3.6%	64

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Rio Linda. If you'd like to see how other nearby schools look in diversity, just google "[name of school] prepscholar" to find our guide to that specific school.

Income Level of Rio Linda High Families

What are the family incomes of students at Rio Linda High School? To determine this, we look at the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, a classification by the US federal government.

To qualify for a reduced price meal, family income needs to be below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $45,000 or below.

To qualify for a free meal, family income needs to be below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $32,000 or below.

The lower the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals, the higher the income levels are likely to be.

At Rio Linda High, 10.9% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 70.2% qualify for free lunches.

This means Rio Linda High has a high percentage of students at or near poverty. Almost a third of all schools in California show this level of poverty, and by National Center for Education Statistics standards, Rio Linda High can be classified as a high poverty school. The income level of families in Rio Linda is thus likely to be low.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	191	10.9%
Free lunches	1230	70.2%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	330	18.8%

As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Rio Linda and doesn't speak much about the school itself.

Unfortunately, schools in areas of lower income levels are likely to be more poorly funded. As a result, they might feature less advanced coursework like AP/IB classes, and you may not have a full range of sports and extracurriculars to draw from. Because Rio Linda High is an especially high poverty-level school, it might not have the resources you need to meet your full potential.

You definitely don't have control over the city, the school, or other families, but you can structure your own learning to be more productive. If you'd like to open yourself to more opportunities, you can look into whether it's possible to transfer to a nearby school with higher income levels.

If not, don't be alarmed - it's possible that Rio Linda High has all that you need for your ambition. And you can definitely be proactive about learning outside of your school, looking to your community or to the Internet to find more resources.

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School Safety

How safe is Rio Linda High School to attend? Can you expect a lot of conflict as a student here?

To study this, we look at disciplinary data for two types of incidents at Rio Linda High: referrals to law enforcement (when incidents are reported to police), and arrests.

These are the most serious disciplinary actions available to school administration and are more severe than suspensions or expulsions. Suspensions are often discretionary and can be given just for being disruptive in class. In contrast, law enforcement referrals and arrests often indicate incidents that put the safety of other Rio Linda High students at risk.

In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 0 referrals to law enforcement, and 0 school-related arrests. This is out of a total enrollment of 1843 students.

To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.

Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:

Twin Rivers Unified School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Total Arrests	Enrollment
Foothill High	62	6	353
Grant Union High	0	0	2026
Highlands High	61	0	880
Elwood J. Keema High	2	0	730
Pacific Career And Technology High	0	0	131
Miles P. Richmond	0	0	42

Academic Performance

Now we get to a major aspect of assessing a high school: academic performance. How good of an education will you get at Rio Linda High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

We've compiled everything we could find about Rio Linda High's academics here.

Graduation Rate

To start off, an important benchmark of academic achievement is graduation rate. For all students who start high school at Rio Linda High, the state of California wants as many students to graduate as possible, since a high school diploma can mean a big difference in getting a job.

At Rio Linda High, 86% (of 429) Rio Linda High students graduated within four years of starting high school.

Here's how this stacks up to other schools. The California state government has defined 90% as a target rate. The state average is around 80-85%.

Rio Linda High is in the 59th percentile of all public high schools in California for graduation rate. This is above average. Generally, a graduation rate of above 90% is considered good and well above average, and below 75% is well below average.

Note: This data comes from a few years back, but the trends are likely to stay the same, since schools don't get significantly better or worse within a short period of time.

Standardized Testing

Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Rio Linda High School students. These are tests that are administered to large populations of students for comparison purposes.

Let’s start by taking a look at the data for nationally administered standardized tests.

SAT Scores

As you probably know, the SAT is a critical test used for college admissions. The higher the score you get, the better your academic performance compared to students nationwide, and the easier it is to get into top colleges.

We did in-depth research and found the average Rio Linda High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1350 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 149 at Rio Linda High take the SAT.

This is a below-average SAT score, putting Rio Linda High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 29% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Rio Linda High may offer a somewhat lacking high school education, compared to schools with higher SAT averages.

Note, however, that an average is just an average - top performers will still be able to impress. If you work hard and get an SAT score well above Rio Linda High's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.

Keep in mind, however, that only 8% of all students at Rio Linda High took the SAT, so the results could be skewed by the small sample size.

Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)

Source	Critical Reading	Math	Writing	Composite
Rio Linda High	452	467	440	1350
California	498	510	496	1504
United States	495	511	484	1490

Note that the SAT has since changed to a 1600 scale, but the trends above for your high school are likely to continue. Just use this guide to convert between the old 2400 scale and the new 1600 scale.

To learn more about SAT percentile rankings, read our guide on what SAT percentiles really mean.

How good is 1350 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1350 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1350 or any other SAT score!

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ACT Scores

In California, the ACT is less popular than the SAT. Fewer students take the ACT, and typically these students are more motivated and academically prepared for college. Therefore, it's harder to compare Rio Linda High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At Rio Linda High, the average ACT composite score was 20, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 64 out of 1751 total students take the ACT.

This is below average performance, putting Rio Linda High in the bottom 50% of California high schools. Most students who take the ACT are below the national average.

Since the ACT tests what you learn in school, this is a pretty strong indicator that you'll get an average or below average education at Rio Linda High.

Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Rio Linda High compared to California and the US:

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
Rio Linda High	19	21	20	20
California	21.8	22.8	22.3	21.7
UnitedStates	20.3	20.9	21.3	20.8

Scores provided are for the 2013-14 school year.

Find out more about percentile rankings and the ACT in this article.

Every individual is different. What counts as a good ACT score for you? Learn more with this article!

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Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Rio Linda High School students credit for college.

Here's what we're looking for: high average AP test scores as well as high AP passing rates.

AP Scores

Every year, roughly 193 students in grades 9-12 at Rio Linda High take 334 AP exams. It's important to understand how students score on the AP - earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP test means passing the test and often earning college credit.

The average score of all AP exams taken at Rio Linda High is 2.5 out of 5.

This score puts Rio Linda High at average performance. For AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and the number of students who pass and don't pass are roughly even. This performance places Rio Linda High School in the top 50% of schools for AP tests.

It's great that Rio Linda High offers an AP program so you have the opportunity to take courses at a college level. Even though roughly half of all AP students here don't get a passing grade, half do - so with motivated studying throughout the year, you'll be able to beat the average.

We have specific data on how many students got a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) on AP exams in the chart below:

AP Test-Taking Statistics

Another way to gauge the quality of a school's AP program is to see how many AP students actually took AP exams at Rio Linda High School. If a lot of students enroll in AP courses but don't actually take the AP tests, it can be a sign that students don't feel adequately prepared to take the test, or the school isn't encouraging students to take the exams enough.

At Rio Linda High, there is a total enrollment of 246 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).

Of AP-taking students, 189 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 12 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 28 took AP courses but took NO tests.

This is good test participation. Most AP students at Rio Linda High School take the AP test for every one of their AP courses, outnumbering the students who take some or no AP exams. This is a good sign that students feel confident enough to take tests for all AP courses available to them, which reflects well on the teachers and course material. Rio Linda High can continue to improve by reducing the number of students who take AP exams for some or none of their courses, but it's in a good state.

Note: The most recent data we have available is from 2012, so the statistics may have changed since then. Most likely, however, the trends are likely to continue - above average schools are likely to stay above average, and below average schools are likely to stay below average.

AP Passing Rates

For AP students at Rio Linda High School who take the exam, it's important to know how they do. Here we have specific data on how many students got a passing grade (a 3 or above) on all, some, or none of the AP exams that they took.

Of all AP test takers, 62 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 39 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 89 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.

This is good performance. The majority of students pass SOME or ALL of the AP tests. Only a minority of students at Rio Linda High School fail all the AP exams they take.

Overall, this points to a fairly strong AP program at Rio Linda High. Most students are able to pass at least one of the AP tests they take, which means the teaching is likely of acceptable quality, and the students are motivated to do well. However, the program isn't strong across the board. Some teachers or courses may be better than others, and students at Rio Linda High may be stronger at some subjects and weaker in others.

If you attend Rio Linda High, this means you'll have a good starting point to work from - but if you want to pass all the AP tests you take, you'll need to work hard and use good study strategies.

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Rio Linda High School, you'll have to talk to your guidance counselor (who can then help you find that information). For instance, one AP Calculus teacher may have an above-90% passing rate, while another might only have a 50% passing rate. If you can, you'll want to take the class with the teacher who has more students get a 3 or above on the AP exam.

Find out more about the average score for each AP subject here.

State Tests

As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Rio Linda High School must take standardized tests in English/Language Arts and Math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These align with the new Common Core standards and are called the "Smarter Balanced" tests.

If Rio Linda High students meet or exceed state standards, they're academically prepared to graduate high school and go to college. Specifically, we care about the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards. The larger this number, the higher the preparation of students at Rio Linda High.

English/Language Arts

At Rio Linda High School, 45% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered below average and puts Rio Linda High in the bottom 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. The majority of Rio Linda High students do not pass state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the Common Core is new, the pass rate at Rio Linda High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Rio Linda High's below average standing among California high schools.

English/Language Arts Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each ELA area score here.

Math

The other major test taken for state assessments is Math. Across the state, Math performance is generally lower than English/Language Arts performance, so it's natural for this number to be lower.

At Rio Linda High School, 23% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Rio Linda High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Rio Linda High students don't meet state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

Math Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each Math area score, go here.

Academic Offerings

In addition to the standard high school curriculum, many high schools like Rio Linda High School offer advanced coursework as part of the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Brief Intro to AP/IB

AP and IB courses are designed at the difficulty level of college introductory classes. There are several important benefits to taking advanced coursework at Rio Linda High. First, taking more advanced classes shows colleges that you're committed to challenging yourself academically, and that you're one of the more advanced students at Rio Linda High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Rio Linda High AP/IB coursework as college coursework. In some cases, you'll be able to skip introductory-level classes and move to more advanced classes. In other cases, you'll be able to avoid having to take required courses and might even be able to graduate earlier than the standard 4 years. Often this will require you to pass the AP test, getting a score of 3 or above.

So what advanced courses does Rio Linda High School offer?

AP Courses

Rio Linda High School offers AP courses in 21 subjects.

This is an impressive number of AP subjects, putting Rio Linda High School in the top 25% of California schools in AP offerings. You'll likely have all of the most popular AP courses available to you, as well as some broader interests.

The total number of AP subjects is 38, so Rio Linda High is missing a good number of subjects, but these are likely the least popular subjects, like less popular foreign languages. If there are any AP courses you want to take that aren't being offered at Rio Linda High, ask your counselor for other options.

Of course, keep in mind that quality matters even more than quantity - it's important that your AP courses are taught well by engaging teachers. But the strong AP program at Rio Linda High likely means you'll be in good hands.

The following AP courses were offered at Rio Linda High during 2015-2016:

Course Title
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
French Language and Culture
Macroeconomics
Music Theory
Physics 1: Algebra-Based
Physics 2: Algebra-Based
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Physics C: Mechanics
Seminar
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture
Statistics
Studio Art: Drawing
United States Government and Politics
United States History
World History

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Rio Linda High School. Sports are an integral part of many students' high school experiences. The more sports that are available, and the more levels supported (Frosh, JV, Varsity), the more likely you'll be able to participate in a sport at Rio Linda High.

By the way, the Rio Linda High mascot is the Knights. Go Knights!

Rio Linda High School fields 17 teams for girls' sports. This is a high number that puts Rio Linda High in the top 25% of California schools that offer girls' sports. If you're a female, you'll have lots of options of sports and levels to try out for.

And now for the boys: Rio Linda High School fields 23 teams for boys' sports. This puts Rio Linda High in the top 25% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Boys will have a large pick of sports to try out for.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Lacrosse Var JV Fr	Lacrosse Var JV Fr
Basketball Var JV Fr	Basketball Var JV Fr
Golf Var JV Fr	Golf Var JV Fr
Tennis Var JV Fr	Tennis Var JV Fr
Football Var JV Fr
Wrestling Var JV Fr
Volleyball Var JV Fr	Volleyball Var JV Fr
Baseball Var JV Fr
	Softball Var JV Fr
Waterpolo Var JV Fr	Waterpolo Var JV Fr
Trackfield Var JV Fr	Trackfield Var JV Fr
Soccer Var JV Fr	Soccer Var JV Fr
Swimming Var JV Fr	Swimming Var JV Fr

What’s Next?

Want to get more useful information about high school classes and preparing for colleges? Our blog has a ton of articles and advice on topics ranging from coursework and GPA to letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and much more!

Ready to bulk up your schedule and maximize your college preparedness? Read all about the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.

Not quite in high school yet, but eager to get started? We've also got information for younger students interested in advanced learning opportunities, both in and out of school.

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